Should artists be sponsored the way athletes are sponsored?

What does it mean to support the arts? Ed Winkleman explored this question on his blog recently and threw out this tidbit for comments:

More than once during the boom, long-time collectors had confided in me that they didn't like the way collecting had changed. It didn't seem to be about the art, but rather more trophy hunting. Some of those collectors shifted gears entirely and focused more on what I consider the rising interest in exploring new form of patronage...opening exhibition spaces, joining boards of capital raising organizations, collecting specifically to support certain artists' or collectives' ongoing projects. In other words, taking a longer-term and wider view of their role in supporting the arts than just their next acquisition.

When we read about the contemporary art market lately, it seems like we mostly hear about the blue chip artists and wealthy collectors who are buying them up at inaccessible art fairs like Frieze and Miami Basel or auctions like Sotheby's and Christie's for what seem like excessive amounts of money.  The focus is on how much the art work costs and little to nothing about the collector's passion for the art. I think all this attention on the cost of the work intimidates emerging collectors from buying art because they start worrying too much about whether it's a good investment and less about what I think should matter when collecting art: (1) finding a personal connection to the work, (2) surrounding yourself with art that challenges, stimulates, inspires, (3) building a creative community that benefits all of us. Collectors/patrons are as essential to the creative community as the artists, museums, galleries, arts organizations, writers, art schools, and the list goes on. 

Buying art is only one (important!) way to accomplish these things.  Collectors can be patrons. They can support individual artists perhaps by helping them buy what they need to make art or pay their rent so they can focus on honing their skills. In the comments section of the Winkleman post referenced above, one person likens it to an athlete who receives sponsorship so she can spend the year before the Olympics training so she has a better chance at winning. This sounds like a great idea. Similar to the way the deMedicis fueled the Renaissance.  Another way collectors can support the creative community: sponsor an exhibition by a small arts organization or a young art collective that would be showing work of emerging artists who need a chance to be seen outside the gallery system. This is just a start!